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Vietnam customs find 1.2 tonnes of elephant ivory hidden in timber

Customs uncovered the contraband only after port scanners flagged hollow cavities, and authorities said the Quy Nhon seizure was the largest on record for the port.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

Vietnamese customs officials discovered nearly 1.2 tonnes of elephant ivory concealed inside a timber shipment that arrived at Quy Nhon on the central coast, three months after the consignment left an inland port along the Congo River, according to reporting by SCMP Economy.

The shipment traveled about 9,000 nautical miles, or 16,700 km, with stops in Sri Lanka and Singapore before reaching Vietnam. Port scanners flagged hollow cavities in the timber, and officials found the ivory sealed in hidden compartments.

SCMP Economy said port authorities were tipped off to the contraband after the scanners flagged the irregularities, and that the seizure was the largest on record for Quy Nhon. The outlet also noted Vietnam has seen repeated ivory interdictions.

Between 2009 and 2018, about 56 tonnes of ivory were seized in Vietnam, and an additional 20 tonnes were linked to the country after being seized elsewhere, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency, as cited by SCMP Economy.

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